Roots
by Nox Inviticus
Summary: Even the greatest of teams have the rockiest beginnings...a prequel to Season 1. Pretty self explanatory...yep...oh, rated T because of language at some points.
1. The Crew

**A/N: **Hey ya'll, so I've finally reuploaded my Gundam Roots story! There's not much that I really changed in this chapter, but still...just...yeah...reviews appreciated! I am taking free and creative liberty with the background stories of all these members based on what the show and movie had to give...so yeah...okay...bye...

* * *

**The Crew**

_3 years before season 1_

The plan Aeolia Schenberg created 200 years ago was nearly ready to be set in motion. The organization, Celestial Being, had finished constructing the 4 machines that would change the world; Gundams. And now that the mother ship, the Ptolemaios, was ready, the dream of Aeolia was soon to become reality.

Everyone in Lagrange 3 was buzzing with excitement, for today Veda would announce who would be the lucky few to operate in the Ptolemy. Once the crowd was gathered in the assembly hall, the recruiting began.

As a recording of Aeolia appeared on the giant monitor, a hush spread through the crowd.

"I would like to begin by thanking all of you for your hard work," the video began, "the fact that this is being viewed means that the creation of my Gundams and of the Ptolemaios is, in fact, possible and complete. Now the time has come for me, for Veda, to appoint the crew members for Ptolemy. I trust that you will all follow the judgment of Veda and press on in the pursuit of eradicating war. Let us change this world, together."

The recording ended and giant orange letters, spelling out V-E-D-A, occupied the screen. A synthetic female voice picked up where Aeolia left off.

"Now commencing with recruiting. For chief mechanic, Veda has selected Ian Vashti." A picture ensued of an older man, and cheers of congratulations rang throughout the room.

"Ian Vashti," the voice continued, "Please report to the platform." The man, Ian, strode through the crowd, receiving praises with a half-hearted smile. Taking his place on the platform, the voice carried on.

"For helmsman, Lichtendal Tsery. Lichtendal Tsery, please report to the platform." The young man stood beaming next to Ian.

"For gunner and backup helmsman, Lasse Aeon..." Now the team had some muscle.

"For head physician, Dr. Moreno…."

"For combat operator, Christina Sierra." A squeal was heard among the mass. "Christina Sierra, please report to the platform." A bubbly brunette skipped onto the platform, all smiles.

"For combat operator, Feldt Grace." A hush fell over the room. "Feldt Grace, please report to the platform." Whispers erupted around the room as the pink haired girl slowly poked her way through the crowd.

'Are they serious?'

'But she's just a kid!'

"Did Veda really choose her?'

'This is some sort of mistake, right?'

"Enough!" Everyone quieted at Ian's raspy command. The twelve-year old girl quietly took her place next to Christina as Ian continued, "if she was called, then Veda chose her. And **Veda** doesn't make mistakes. Got it?" He took the following silence as a yes. "Good." he said, almost to himself, sending Feldt a wink.

"As tactical forecaster, Sumeragi Lee Noriega. Sumeragi Lee Noriega, please report to the platform." Lastly, a woman in her mid-twenties stepped up, completing the core of Celestial Being. The hall rang out in applause. They were to leave Lagrange 3 in two days time.

* * *

The new crew for the Ptolemy met the next day for formal introductions and to prepare for departure the next day. Once everyone was present, Sumeragi decided to take charge and stood up.

"I'd like to express, first and foremost, what a privilege it is for us to be here together. The fact that you are standing here means that Veda has recognized your abilities to further Aeolia's vision of world peace. As you heard yesterday, my codename is Sumeragi Lee Noriega. As tactical forecaster, it will be up to me to design the mission plans that Celestial Being will execute in the near future. For that, I will need everybody's trust and support in my decisions."

When Sumeragi had first began her little speech, she had to admit to feeling a slight bit silly. But, judging by the groups reaction, she must have ended in complete confidence. Smiling now, she continued.

"I think we need to start off by getting to know each other a bit better. We'll go in a circle. Everyone will introduce themselves, along with their age and area of expertise. So, let's begin!"

Everyone looked around, slightly hesitant, before someone finally jumped up.

"Hello! My name is Christina Sierra, and I'm twenty years old…"

* * *

The following hours were filled with an endless need of things to be done before departure. Lichtendal, or Lichty as he preferred to be called, spent a majority of his time learning the controls of the ship. When Lasse wasn't hauling heavy supply crates, he was with Lichty just enough to know the minimal basics of piloting. Ian oversaw the loading of the Gundams into the Ptolemy's docking bay and, when that was done with, occupied himself by retouching his knowledge on the ship's inner workings. Dr. Moreno was busy stocking the shelves of the medical center.

Feldt took her time in the piloting bay, working her way to an expert level on the Ptolemy's computer. Christina and Sumeragi, on the other hand, had more important matters to attend to.

"What?! This is all the closet space we get?" Christina cried out as she looked upon her small room's closet in horror. The cold, gray space seemed to drain the vibrancy out of Christina, as she slumped on her bed in defeat. Sumeragi laughed from the doorway.

"Hey now, nobody said changing the world would be easy. Some sacrifices must be made." She lectured playfully, sitting next to the distraught girl.

"Just because we'll be in space," Christina muttered, "doesn't mean we don't have to keep up with the latest fashions."

Sumeragi shrugged and got up to leave. "Well, choose wisely on what you bring. You never know how long we might be up here. Bye now."

Even though she left laughing, Sumeragi realized the hard truth behind her words. It could be months, even years, before they set foot on Earth again. Looking into her own amount of storage space, she made a few calculations. At the max, her supply of alcohol could last 3 months. _Three months. Guess we'll be landing in three month's time._

* * *

_2 months later_

"Alright, good job everybody! I think we're actually starting to work as a team." Sumeragi announced as the group finished their last round of training simulations. She didn't know if it was the grace of God, or if Veda was just _that_ good, but everyone on board just meshed so perfectly.

Within the first week, everyone had completely opened up to each other and the variety of personalities acted like a symphony. The bright chimes of Christina, Lichty's kind flute, the deep drums of Lasse, and the solemn cello from Feldt; everyone in the pilot bay was an instrument, and Sumeragi was their conductor. The only thing missing was…

"Um, Miss Sumeragi, I know this question may be a bit silly…" Christina chimed one day after a simulation. The unofficial captain looked at her quizzically.

"Well, for a while now, a lot of us have been wondering…" Lichty continued, backing up his teammate.

"What is it? Come on, it can't be that silly. Lasse?" Sumeragi turned to the stoic man.

"Don't look at me, I didn't want to ask about it." He answered, but before they could snap at him, Feldt spoke up.

"We were wondering who the Gundam Meisters are, and when we'll be receiving them." Everyone started a bit, Feldt never being known for her talkative nature. She went back to monitoring her screen after that.

"The Gundam Meisters, ay? Well, to be honest, I'm just as curious as the rest of you. Maybe if we ask Veda…" Sumeragi's voice trailed off at the proposition, unsure of how to continue. _Well, maybe that's what Veda has been waiting for. Our report on the stability of our current group. The fact that we're ready to receive our Meisters…_

"Well, it's worth a shot." She announced suddenly, snapping everyone out of their reverie. "Feldt, tap us into Veda. We're gonna ask it here, and now." She ordered. Feldt nodded curtly and proceeded to type away rapidly on her keyboard.

"Access acquired." She reported as a holographic screen appeared in front of the group. A few seconds later, the word Veda materialized and the room fell quiet.

"Now what?" Christina whispered, to no one in particular.

"We ask our question." Sumeragi stated with confidence. "This is Sumeragi Lee Noriega, appointed tactical forecaster of Celestial Being. Permission to ask question."

The screen wavered for a bit, but then a synthetic female voice, same as the one the day they were recruited, answered. "Identity confirmed. Sumeragi Lee Noriega, permission granted."

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, not realizing they had even been holding their breath. They turned their attention to Miss Sumeragi.

"Question: when will we be expecting our Gundam Meisters to arrive?"

Veda paused for a bit before a picture and relating name took its place on the screen. "Be expecting him within the next week."

Sumeragi took a deep breath before reading the name aloud.

"Tieria Erde."


	2. Tieria Erde

**Tieria Erde**

The day's following Veda's announcement were filled with giddy anticipation. Christina and Feldt alternated manning the communications and radar 24/7; they weren't about to let his arrival go unnoticed. Lichty seemed even more talkative than usual, which meant Lasse would be even more annoyed than usual. Sumeragi, though, had a lot more on her mind.

First, the obvious youth of the first Meister had caught her off-guard. She had envisioned all the Meisters to be around Lasse's age, mid to late-twenties; Tieria Erde, in his picture at least, didn't look a day over sixteen. Maybe the picture was outdated…

She was maybe the most anxious for Tieria's arrival; there were too many unknown factors for any serious strategists comfort. _Which Gundam will he pilot? What special skills will he bring? How much does he know about Veda? How old __**is **__he? And…why does he look like a girl?…_

Sumeragi's thoughts were interrupted when Feldt Grace came on the ship's intercom.

"_All hands report to docking bay. The Meister's ship has arrived. All hands report to docking bay."_

_Finally._

Sumeragi entered the docking bay, shortly followed by Feldt and Christina. Everyone else was already poised and ready to welcome the new addition. After about 30 seconds, the small ship finished docking and the piloting hatch opened. Gracefully, the young boy exited his ship, garnet eyes coolly scanning the group. He was wearing a purple and white flight suit, maybe to match his violet hair.

"I am Tieria Erde, your first Gundam Meister of Celestial Being."

* * *

Looking even younger in person, Tieria soon proved to be knowledgeable beyond his years. Apparently, he had also been receiving commands and information from Veda. Things like the fact that he would be piloting the GN-005 Gundam, Virtue. And when the remaining Meisters were to be expected.

Shortly after introductions and welcomes were made, they moved into the briefing room for further discussions. Tieria walked to the screen, punched a few keys, and waited for Veda to pop up.

"Right about now, Veda wants for me to inform you all on the process by which the Meisters will be recruited."

That caught everyone's attention.

"As you know, Celestial Being has an extended network of agents all around the world. A group of agents you may not know about yet are the Observers."

He paused here briefly to confirm that none of them knew what he was talking about.

"The Observers are an anonymous group of highly ranked people from around the world. They have no real access to Veda, but they hold the power to veto any decision Celestial Being makes, but only if they are all in complete consensus. Their main task is watching over the crew of Ptolemy and the Meisters."

"Wait a minute! Are you telling us that there are people higher ranked than Veda?" Christina exclaimed. Apparently, that was a mistake. Tieria gave her a look like a death threat before shouting back.

"Of course not! That's preposterous! Absolutely no one is higher ranked than Veda! The Observers can't go against anything Veda says, only what we as Celestial Being say!" He calmly regained his composure and fixed his glasses. The rest of the crew learned something new about this Meister: never question the power of Veda in his presence. Clearing his throat, he continued.

"Over the past few years, the Observers have been working on their first job, which is locating possible candidates for Gundam Meisters." At this, the screen was filled with files of various people. They guessed these were all the candidates.

"That's amazing." Lichty whispered as he tried to count the files. Then he noticed something. "But, hey, why can't we read their names or bios? There censored."

"That is to protect their privacy should they really be recruited. Not all of these persons would like their pasts to be known like some of you. A perfect example is Miss Sumeragi Lee Noriega. I'm sure you're all aware that is a codename, correct?" Tieria glanced around the room and followed the comprehension as it spread across everyone's face. His eyes stopped on Sumeragi briefly before returning them to the screen.

"As you can see, there is by no means a shortage of possible Meisters in the world. As we speak, people are continually being added and removed from the candidate list. Until the perfect match, as determined by Veda, is found, we can do nothing but sit and wait. When a Meister is finally chosen, further instruction shall be given to us via Veda."

The former excitement in the room slowly deflated as Tieria continued his speech, and noticeably so. Christina's once sparkling eyes now focused on the split ends she was acquiring. Lichty and Lasse mumbled in the back...well, more like Lichty mumbled while Lasse grunted in response. Sumeragi, although also disheartened by the news (or lack thereof), quickly interjected.

"So, then, until we get word from Veda, let's all work hard to prepare ourselves. We already have one Meister, and that means a whole new slew of work to be done. We need to run flight simulations, test out suits, configure systems-"

"Uwah, stop! I'm getting a headache just thinking about it!" Christina whined, ending the formality of the gathering once and for all.

"Are we finished here?" Sumeragi asked Tieria tentatively. He nodded curtly in response.

"In that case, let's go eat. I'm starving!" Christina grabbed Feldt and Lichty, dragging them along to the cafeteria. Lasse and Ian followed quietly, but Sumeragi noticed the Tieria was still hanging back.

"Hey, Mr. Erde, that means you too. Aren't you at least a bit hungry?" Tieria looked at Miss Sumeragi coldly, but answered anyways.

"I suppose." He began to follow, but she stopped him again. She looked him over questioningly. He narrowed his red eyes, his expression screaming a defiant 'What?'.

"Shouldn't you maybe change first? I mean, you can't wear your flight suit everywhere, right?" At this comment, Tieria's expression turned from harsh to lost.

"Change? Into what?" He looked down at himself and began to look a little panicky. "Am, am I supposed to have different clothes? Veda never mentioned anything about that. If Veda didn't tell me to bring clothing, then-"

Sumeragi cut off the boy with a small laugh. Was he serious? This kid, who had acted so superior earlier, didn't even pack extra clothes? Well, now that she thought about it, she didn't see him with any personal belongings whatsoever.

"Listen, bringing clothes is just common sense. But, if you really don't have anything, I guess we could find an outfit somewhere on this ship for you." Tieria didn't make anymore eye contact, but just nodded in submission. He was embarrassed.

Sumeragi had to think for a bit. She couldn't put him in Lasse's or Ian's clothes; Tieria was too small. Lichty's clothes might fit, but if she recalled correctly, Lichty didn't bring enough clothes to spare an entire outfit. _I guess Christina and Feldt's clothes could fit him…_

"Follow me." She strolled down the hallway, bound for Christina's room first. Tieria followed behind quietly. Humans were such strange creatures. Why would someone need more than one outfit? But, he thought it best not to argue. Veda did instruct him to follow everyone's lead, so that's what he would do. That's why he didn't protest as they raided what was obviously a woman's closet. Why he tried, to the best of his abilities, to choose an outfit. Why he left the room to don his new outfit, ignoring Sumeragi's amused expression.

They walked together to the cafeteria in silence. When they entered, everyone already had their food and were sitting at the main table. Lichty noticed the two first and waved to them. Then he noticed what Tieria was wearing. It was all he could do to not laugh.

"Are those my khaki slacks? And my yellow dress shirt?" Christina asked, breaking the short silence that followed their appearance.

"My pink cardigan…" Feldt stated more than asked.

"Yes. I hope you two don't mind, but our Meister here was in a bit of a predicament. And since the two of you, mainly Christina, have so much clothes, I thought you wouldn't miss a few pieces." Sumeragi explained as they sat down to their waiting meals.

"Oh, no, we don't mind. Um, did you at least let him choose that himself?" Christina was delighted and confused at the same time. This guy looked even more like a girl now. Was he into that kinda stuff…?

"Yes, he chose it himself. Honestly, these were some of the only pieces that weren't skin tight, low cut, or a dress-skirt-thing. Maybe when we land next, you would like to take him shopping?" Sumeragi meant it as a joke, but Christina's face lit up at the proposal.

"Really Miss Sumeragi? When are we gonna land?!" Sumeragi couldn't help but laugh; she acted like a kid on her way to a candy store.

"Hopefully, we'll land soon. We've been up in space now for over a month. Humans need some ground time too, you know." Tieria took this statement almost as a cue for another speech.

"Which reminds me; Veda has also determined our primary informant. Our top agent on the surface, Miss Wang Liu-Mei. She is the sole heir to her wealthy family fortune and has dedicated her time and resources to our cause. When we do wish to land on the surface, it must be arranged and cleared with her." He noticed everyone still looking at him and started a bit. "Ah, t-that is all."

"You're as useful as an information terminal, now aren't you?" Ian smirked at this boy. Not even an hour on the ship, and already he had been more useful than half the crew. Which reminded him..

"Hey, when you're finished here, why not come out and test pilot your Gundam." Tieria acknowledged the man with a curt nod. That seemed like a good idea to him. But before that…

quickly devouring his portions, he excused himself and left the mess hall. He strolled down a corridor, somehow knowing his way around the Ptolemaios already. He stopped at the end of a hallway and opened a hatch in the ground. He lowered himself into a glowing red space. It was the source of Veda aboard this ship. Removing his glasses, he closed his eyes and concentrated. When he opened them next, they were a strange golden hue that fluctuated with purples and greens in an unnatural fashion. He proceeded to relay his day to Veda.

* * *

_3 Months Later_

Sighing, Sumeragi sunk into her chair as the tension in the control room calmed down. Ever since Tieria had shown up, it had been an endless barrage of battle simulations and test flights. The last exercise left the crew especially frazzled, everyone taking a few moments to wind-down before the cause of their distress had a chance to make his appearance. Like clockwork, Tieria entered the control room right on schedule, looking every bit composed as they looked drained. Before he could begin his usual tirade of what went wrong in the simulation, a small beep came from Feldt's computer.

"Ms. Sumeragi, I'm getting a coded message from Earth." That sure grabbed everyone's attention fast. It even managed to stop Tieria, mouth open ready to rant.

"Can you determine who it's from?" Sumeragi wasn't going to get her hopes up just yet...

"Yes, hold on...it's from a Miss Wang Liu Mei..." Feldt trailed off.

"Open it on the main screen." Now Sumeragi got her hopes up. Feldt did as instructed, and a few clicks later, a video popped up on the main screen. The girl in it was a pretty little thing, and one had to wonder how she got herself mixed up in secret organizations in the first place.

"Hello, as you should all have guessed, my name is Wang Liu Mei. I am a primary agent of Celestial Being. As such, I am dutifully reporting to you some important information regarding the Gundam Meisters."

This was it. The moment everyone had been longing for. Literally on the edge of their seats, they watched as the recording continued.

"I have in my company your newest Gundam Meister. According to my information, the crew of the Ptolemy has been in space for nearly 5 months now. As such, I have made arrangements for your ship to land on Earth for a resupply, as well as recuperation of the crew. Along with this message, I have attached coordinates to a safe location where we shall be awaiting your arrival within the next week. Until then."

And just like that, the video ended. Feldt recovered the coordinates to a private island in the Pacific region. The crew was dismissed for a short break before returning to start a course to Earth.

* * *

**A/N: **So, here's where the changes really began, and I'm a lot happier with this chapter now. Why yes, in my head Tieria is a fussy prick. And I will characterize him as such. I just love the little prima donna LOL

Thanks for reading! Reviews are nice sometimes and the next chapter will be up in a few more days. Until then~bye!


	3. Lockon Stratos

**Lockon Stratos**

The past two weeks seemed like nothing more than a crazy dream, and Neil was certain he would wake up any minute. He'd been certain he'd wake up any minute for the past few days. Everything was just...just too surreal. Just a few weeks ago, he'd been living in a dank little apartment, and now he was sitting on the balcony of a mansion, in the middle of a private island, waiting for a ship to whisk him off into space.

When Neil had first joined Celestial Being, he was just a clumsy, barely-adult with good aim and a thirst for vengeance. Over the course of 4 years, he matured quite a bit into a cool-headed marksman with real ideals, and the drive to achieve them. At least, that's what he liked to think. But in all his years as a member of Celestial Being, never did he imagine he'd end up _here_, in this moment.

It all started two weeks ago.

_ He headed to his family's grave for what was expected to be a routine rendezvous. As the agent approached him, Neil mentally prepared himself for his next victim. In all honesty, Neil hated being a hitman, but if it was to change the world, then he'd just have to face his sins at a later date. However, instead of receiving the file of a stranger, he received his own. Perplexed, he looked over at the cloaked man._

_"Your name is now Lockon Stratos. You've been chosen to be a Gundam Meister of Celestial Being."_

_And just like that, he was gone, leaving behind a stunned and thoughtful Neil Dylandy...no, that's not right. Leaving behind an honored Lockon Stratos, standing by a family grave that was not his own anymore_.

And now that same Lockon Stratos stretched out lazily on his balcony, watching the sun sink into the ocean. If only the rest of the world were this peaceful...but he knew far better than most that even a refuge could become a war zone in the blink of an eye. And that's why, even in this oasis, his hands twitched with a restlessness and a drive to fight.

* * *

There was an unfaltering buzz of excitement throughout the Ptolemaios as it approached the Earth. Not only were they about to set foot on land for the first time in nearly half a year, but they were going to get a new Gundam Meister as well. Christina squirmed in her seat; Lichty wouldn't shut up; Lasse was putting up with it better than usual; Feldt had a trace of a smile at all times; and Sumeragi celebrated by depleting her remaining alcohol supply. The only one unaffected by this momentous occasion was Mr. Killjoy himself, Tieria Erde. He just sat by one of the monitors, cool and disinterested, radiating his usual "don't talk to me" aura. And they had no problems whatsoever in complying.

"Beginning atmospheric entry sequence!" Christina chirped, much higher than usual.

"Adjusting to relative velocity of Earth's rotation." Feldt sounded more chipper as well. This was the first time Ptolemy would be entering the Earth's atmosphere outside of simulations. Everyone was just a little (okay a lot) anxious to see if it was successful, or if they'd be burned to a crisp like a wonton piece of debris.

"Commencing forward particle dispersal..."

There was quite a bit of turbulence, and suddenly Sumeragi wished she weren't so buzzed. Or she wished she were more drunk. At this point, anything was better. After a few more agonizing minutes of turbulence and adjustments, the ship smoothed out and everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they broke through the first clouds of Earth's troposphere.

"Stable airspace has been reached!" Christina cried out in relief and excitement.

"Now accelerating to coordinates. Activating outer camouflage." And with that, they were on their way to Wang Liu Mei's private island. With a small 'hmph', Tieria gracefully stood and and briskly walked out of the control room.

"We have _got_ to do something about his attitude." Sumeragi grumbled once the doors slid closed.

"If we're lucky, maybe the new Meister will be able to bring some life into that dull guy." Lichty commented, chuckling lightly.

"Don't get your hopes up. It's more probable that we'll get someone that's even more of a hardass than Tieria." Lasse had succeeded in killing the mood completely.

"C-come on Lasse. Don't make a joke that isn't funny..." Christina attempted to clear the air.

"I'm not trying to be funny. I'm being realistic."

"And why wouldn't someone _nice_ be a realistic Meister?"

"Have you _met _Tieria?"  
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean-"

"Hey, if you kids would stop fighting, you'd see that we're already here." Sumeragi interjected as an island came into view. Everyone immediately went back to their controls, preparing the ship for landing and all that good stuff. All the while, Sumeragi became lost in her thoughts.

Although she tried really hard to ignore it, Lasse's prediction of a second Tieria distressed her to no end. Sure, the boy was a good pilot and had the uncanny ability to follow Veda's orders with near perfection...but he lacked an essential something. How could she put it? He lacked a feeling of...humanity. It wasn't so much his arrogance or his calculating gaze or even his blatant disregard for others. Somehow it felt as if those traits would have been more acceptable if they had some sort of human drive behind it. Yet as it stood, Tieria Erde was all those, yet so alien and incomprehensible at the same time. No matter how hard they all tried, there was just no breaching the steel wall between the crew and Tieria's heart. _If he even has one that is..._

She was snapped out of her troubling reverie at the sound of Christina's piercing announcement.

"Ptolemy has successfully landed and is beginning unloading sequence. Everyone...it's time to go!" And with that, the brunette dashed out of the control room, eager to set foot on Earth once more. Sumeragi smiled gently and sighed.

"Alright, let's shut down the main systems, disperse camouflage, and finally get the hell off this ship."

"Yes ma'am." Lichty responded, laughing lightly with Lasse. Taking one last look at the monitor before it shut down, Sumeragi could make out three figures existing the mansion in the distance. She prayed silently that everything worked out for the best. And with that, they all proceeded to exit the room and step into their first rays of sun.

* * *

Tieria Erde had only ever known space. He'd been created there, lived there, learned there. And now he was expected to leave it behind. Such a notion was in no way absurd; humans needed ground time for their mental and physical well being. It was also a necessary maneuver as determined by Veda. What _was_ absurd was Tieria's anxiety over something so menial. Yes, he was entering a realm he'd never experienced; a fear that was understandable and easily overcome. But no matter how he rationalized it on countless levels, there was one deep rooted area that he couldn't seem to reach.

Swallowing his terror, he proceeded with his day as usual. As they approached the Earth, he fastened himself to an empty seat right in the control room. He was going to face this fear head on, by getting a front row view of the Earth he dreaded so much. Even as the room trembled with turbulence, as it filled with raised voices of alerts and commands, Tieria kept his gaze steady, straight through the particles and lights, ready to stare down the lands below.

Suddenly, the ship smoothed out, bursting through white vapor. _Clouds...we're in the troposphere._ Out of the dense water vapor, Tieria was suddenly blinded by a light much different than that filtered in space. As his vision returned, he began to make out and identify many earthly landmarks. An ocean. The sky. More clouds. Tiny clumps of land. _Islands...we'll be landing on one of them_. He thought wistfully as he gazed at the world around him. It was...overwhelming. He felt a cramping in his chest more foreign than the anxiety he experienced earlier, but could feel it was of a similar root. _Panic. I'm panicking._ He realized this suddenly, just soon enough to react before he showed outward signs. With a small 'hmph', mainly made to choke a small whimper resting in his throat, Tieria quickly stood and made his way hastily out of the room and to his only place of solace.

Inside Veda, nothing could hurt him. Nothing could touch him. Nothing could hear him, see him. Inside Veda, he simply _was_.

* * *

The crew of Ptolemy slowly trickled out onto the sandy beach. Christina had been the first one out, basking in the sun the entire time. The last to exit the ship, of course, was none other than Tieria Erde. It's not like there was any rush per se; the three strangers were still a small ways off. But still, one couldn't feel that he exited last in a dramatic fashion. But 'dramatic' implied intense emotions, none of which could be associated to the violet young man. As if coming out last wasn't enough, Tieria wouldn't even completely leave the ship, instead opting to lean against the doorway at the end of the ramp.

However, one didn't dwell too long on their frustration towards Tieria, as the trio of new faces were soon within greeting range. Leading the group was a petite girl, the same one in that starred in the video message. Behind her were two young men, either of which could easily be the new Gundam Meister. Everyone mentally crossed their fingers, praying it wasn't the rather serious Asian man, whose looks just _begged_ to be labeled as Tieria 2.0.

"Good afternoon everyone. I am Wang Liu Mei, although you all probably knew that by now. It's a great pleasure to finally meet you all." Even more stunning in person, the young girl bowed slightly after her introduction, which prompted a return from the rest of the crew.

"The pleasure is all ours, Miss Wang. I am Sumeragi Lee Noriega, tactical forecaster of Celestial Being."

"Oh please, just call me Liu Mei. I'm sure you all are exhausted. We can continue introductions inside over some light refreshments. But first, let me just acquaint you with my two companions. I can tell from your faces that you're dying to know." She giggled as a few members fidgeted from embarrassment, some even blushing lightly.

"This here", she gestured to the dark haired Tieria 2.0 on her right, "is my partner in crime, Hong Long. Anything you need during your stay can be requested through him should I be unavailable." Everyone resisted the urge to sigh in relief.

"And this here", she began as the brunette man stepped forward, "is in fact your new Gundam Meister." Taking that as a cue, the young man unleashed a dazzling smile, green eyes sparkling in the light.

"My codename is Lockon Stratos, the man who can shoot from beyond the stratosphere. I'll admit it's kinda cheesy, but hey, it's a title I'll definitely live up to. Nice to finally meet everyone!" He radiated an energy that managed to put everyone at ease, and things weren't so formal from then on. The group began their stroll back to the residence, Lockon engaging various people in casual small talk. Sumeragi was relieved to know this man would be their new comrade; God knows they needed a relaxant onboard before someone lost their sanity.

"What I'm most excited about is the surprising number of beautiful young women in the crew!" Lockon announced to no one, yet everyone in particular. Christina laughed, Feldt blushed, and Sumeragi rolled her eyes.

"Don't tell me we'll have to deal with a womanizer on the ship from now on." Sumeragi retorted. Lockon chuckled.

"I promise to be on my best behavior ma'am!" He joked, right hand raised in mock-oath. "By the way, " he added glancing back, "who's that all the way in the back?" Lockon asked slowing his pace a bit.

Sumeragi looked back, already knowing who he meant. Tieria trailed behind the group, arms crossed, eyes focused somewhere in the distance. She sighed a little, following Lockon's lead of slowing down to let Tieria catch up. Lockon looked over at her curiously, noticing her slight drop in mood. She smiled apologetically, almost laughing at his confused expression.

"This right here is none other than Tieria Erde. Your fellow Gundam Meister." Sumeragi announced as they finally matched pace with the prima donna young man. Aware of their presence, his garnet eyes glared cooly over the rim of his classes, focusing first on Sumeragi then Lockon.

"Tieria Erde you say." Lockon smiled amiably at his glaring teammate. Sumeragi was about to begin feeling pity for Lockon, until he did something beyond her wildest imagination. He stepped in front of Tieria, causing both to stop, which in turn caused everyone to stop and watch. Taking one of the younger's hands in his, Lockon smiled charmingly,

"Tieria. A beautiful name for a beautiful lady. I look forward to working with-" Before he could finish his sentence, Tieria had swiped his hand free and proceeded to slap Lockon across the face, _hard_, his usual cool composure slightly huffed and obviously embarrassed.

"For future reference, I am in fact _male_. Don't. Touch. Me. Ever. Again." And with that, Tieria strode swiftly away, leaving Lockon to look after in confusion and shock. Before anyone could make a move to lighten the atmosphere, Lockon doubled over in a fit of hearty laughter.

"Wooh! Did NOT see that one coming. Guess I just made a complete ass of myself." He breathed out between his continuous laughing. It was highly contagious. Before they knew it, everyone was either chuckling gently or smiling. Everyone excluding Tieria of course, who just scoffed and began deviating away from the crowd. Lockon ran after him.

"Oy! Tieria, sorry about that! Really, don't run away!" Tieria only sped up his already brisk pace.

"Lockon Stratos, don't you dare come near me." He growled. He just laughed more at the threat.

"Hey now, that's not very nice- oy, hey! Come back!"

"Go AWAY."

Sumeragi watched on in amusement, before walking to the front of the astonished group, motioning for everyone to continue.

"This is going to be fun..."

* * *

**A/N: **Here's where it finally starts getting fun. Yes, I am taking extreme liberties in regards to back stories. Besides the whole terrorist thing, we don't really know much about Neil, and after trolling around enough forums and somewhat cannon sources, this is the most usable of theories to me.

See a grammar mistake? Lemme know! Think someone's character is getting a little outta hand?...well too bad. (jk, holla at me and I'll look it over!)

Shout out to StormyMonday, for not giving up on me and welcoming me back after all these long months xD


	4. Dynamic

**Dynamic**

Whistling contently to himself, Lockon floated through the empty hallways of Ptolemy. Gazing out the occasional window, he stared listlessly at the same view he'd been graced with for the past two months; space, an oppressing darkness that sometimes even managed to swallow the radiance of its stars. The thought was quickly shoved away into a deep corner of Neil's mind as Lockon caught sight of a hostile Tieria in the distance.

"Morning partner. You're looking just as chipper as ever." He greeted the other jokingly, earning him a look that could kill. One learned to build an immunity to such things when frequenting encounters with Tieria Erde. The older man just chuckled and continued trailing behind his cold counterpart.

"Well, I suppose you could argue that 'morning' is a relative term out in space." Silence.

"I always find things like that pretty funny." Another moment of quiet. Neil sighed inwardly.

"So Tieria, about the simulation training today-" He was caught off guard as the silent boy sharply turned towards him, gaze intense.

"Lockon Stratos. Last time, your hit-point averaged at 78%. A 2% drop from previous records. Continue these backsliding results, and I'll refuse to acknowledge you as worthy of piloting a Gundam." As Tieria turned and disappeared into the hangar, Lockon sighed audibly this time. _That kid will say nothing to me unless it concerns the Gundams and my performance._ Neil thought sullenly. _But he _is_ right. My scores have started dropping. And _that _is unacceptable._ Lockon then entered the hangar, only to be attacked by a floating orange orb.

"Lockon, Lockon!" The man smiled, holding the small robot in front of him.

"Well hello little partner. Ready to get started?" He asked, walking towards his already open cockpit.

"Simulations ready, simulations ready!" He lowered himself into place, Haro adjusting himself into his mini-dock.

"In that case, let's begin." The screen lit up, displaying a battlefield in some new desert landscape. His smile slowly faded as he pulled his sniping control into a comfortable position. Tieria's words from earlier echoed in Lockon's mind. He was distressed by the fall in performance, but Neil was concerned with the spiritual implications. He was losing some of his resolve. Nothing was wrong with Lockon; a lot was wrong with Neil. And there were reasons for that, from his sudden shift in environment (adjusting to space wasn't easy), to the constant silent pressure he felt from practically everyone onboard. And then there was Tieria. It was annoying to admit, but the boy's constant snide remarks and criticisms were starting to hit Neil hard. He _was_ only human after all, he messed up. But in Celestial Being, mistakes weren't allowed. In Lockon Stratos, one didn't miss the target. And then he realized his problem. He was Neil, when he needed to be Lockon...was shooting as the broken man with a grudge, rather than the ideal Meister that can shoot beyond the stratosphere.

But, in order to truly become Lockon Stratos...what would happen to Neil Dylandy? That was it. That was the question, the realization, that had been haunting the man's mind since he first received his codename. Always there, but never clear, never manifested until now. And he was afraid. Afraid of what could, what would, become of him should he have to answer. What was the answer he would give? He forced the fears away.

Neil had given up too much to turn back now. He'd come too far to start faltering now. A reconciliation was in order, and it was now or never. Neil breathed steadily, watching his enemy's every move through the crosshairs of his scope. And he made his choice.

"Dynames, Lockon Stratos. Targeted and _firing_."

* * *

After simulations, Tieria sat in his dark cockpit for a few moments. He knew full well that _that_ man would be there waiting, itching to start some meaningless banter to which he would never indulge. Regardless, the man known as Lockon Stratos unfailingly sought him out daily, under the premise of building 'team spirit'. Tieria actually scoffed in his small sanctuary at the thought.

Lockon Stratos had the uncanny ability to get under Tieria's skin like no other. When they'd first met, he associated the overtly aggravating feeling to both him and the Earth. However, even here in space, that man was simply _overwhelming_. His aggravation had little to do with Earth, and plenty to do with Lockon Stratos. Speaking of the devil, Lockon could be heard right outside his steel refuge, knocking lightly, asking if everything was _okay_. Groaning a little, he bit back the urge to scream at the older man once out of the cockpit. No, screaming would just bring him to the same level as the other. Instead, he exited gracefully, throwing a small 'I'm fine' behind to try and satiate the chatty man. But of course, that didn't stop Lockon from pursuing him, talking the entire time.

"Hey it's not a crime to be worried y'know..." He droned on.

"Oh yeah, I was just thinking about some new idea about..." Did he ever run out of things to say?

"Oy Tieria, you listening? I feel like..." Of course he wasn't listening. Did this man ever take a hint?

Suddenly, he felt a pressure on his forearm and was surprised to look down and see that Lockon had taken hold of it. Yanking his limb out of the man's (rather strong) grip, Tieria spun around and dealt him the strongest glare he had yet to muster. At least that's what he'd intended to do. But when he turned, Lockon wore an expression so stern and unlike him that Tieria had to stop himself from gasping in surprise.

It wasn't like he'd never seen the other man serious before. There'd been many times he'd caught glimpses of Lockon looking out windows, looking pensive and rather serene. But, this wasn't one of those looks. It wasn't pensive. Wasn't worried. Wasn't even angry. He didn't know _what_ to label it as; all he knew was he couldn't stay in the range of those bright green eyes (had they always been so bright?). Recovering quickly, he looked away and stated firmly, "Lockon Stratos, refrain from laying your hands on me under any circumstance." And without looking back, Tieria fled. He would never admit that in that small moment, he was afraid. Afraid of what he'd see if he looked at that man's face again. Afraid that he'd find the words to describe his expression.

"Lockon Stratos...what _are _you..."

* * *

Change was one of the more beautiful parts about humanity. No matter how low one got, how lost, how ugly, hope was never exactly completely gone. With enough strength of will, anyone could change, could adapt to their surroundings. Change to avoid pain. Change to embrace it. Change was a double-edged sword. Once one changed, they didn't have to stop. Transformations continued for the entirety of life. As long as there was humanity, there would be advancements, revolutions, innovations. Nothing ever stayed the same. There were no constants. That was the dynamic nature of mankind. And it was beautiful.

* * *

It had taken him a few weeks, but finally, he'd gotten a grip. He knew when to be Lockon and when to be Neil. During training, simulations, and combat, he was Lockon Stratos. Right before a battle and right after, alone in his cockpit, lost in thought, he was Neil Dylandy. Lockon liked to joke with Sumeragi and relax with a carefree nature. Neil preferred to stare out windows when no one was around and get lost in space. Lockon had a partner named Haro, a pink haired follower, and a Gundam suitably named Dynames. Neil was alone and wanted to stay that way.

Lockon Stratos belonged to Celestial Being.

Neil Dylandy belonged to his past.

And everything was right.

* * *

The world was in a constant state of evolution. Institutions were built to be broken down. Minds set to be changed. Visions created to be distorted and destroyed. It was pitiful. Humanity would come within arms reach of perfection one day, and then revert to barbaric ways the next. Too much diversity. Too many opinions. Too much complexity. Consistency was perfection. Consensus was consistency. Perfection was consensus. Yet humans differed, fluctuated, ran in circles. History being copy and pasted for generations to come. There were no constants. That was the dynamic nature of mankind. And it was repulsive.

* * *

Tieria noticed Lockon's change in behavior since day one. After his unsettling encounter that one day, he'd begun to act differently. And he was positive that he was the only one to notice. Yes, Lockon would still pester him nearly everyday, but it was more restrained. Almost unsure. Of course, he had no basis for this assumption, and the explanation of intuition being at work was ridiculous to Tieria. Also, there was the noticeable improvements in statistics.

Since that day forward, Lockon's accuracy rating increased steadily and was already breaking into the upper 80s. This was nothing to complain about of course. And he wasn't. Tieria was rather satisfied with the results. But still...it was strange. Outwardly, nothing had really changed, but there was something very different about Lockon.

"This is ridiculous..." He muttered to himself one day, stopping in the middle of some hallway he'd been wandering down. Why was he thinking about this so much? What was wrong with him? Lockon Stratos' behavior shouldn't, _didn't_ concern him, and that was that.

"What's ridiculous?" Tieria tensed at the sudden presence behind him. Damn, he'd been so lost in thought that he'd even failed to notice the obnoxious man approach. Then Tieria did something that surprised even him. He turned around to face the other, greeted by a confused yet amused smile.

"Lockon Stratos" he began, noting a slight shift in the other's eyes, "you've changed." He stated this after some thought. It wasn't a question. He didn't mean it as such. He simply asserted what he'd observed. Why he felt compelled to do so was beyond him, but it was done, and there was no turning back now. He watched the other as Lockon's eyes widened slightly before he broke into a chuckle.

"Well whaddya know. Tieria does pay attention to me!" He smiled gently, Tieria now somewhat perplexed. So he didn't deny it? Did...did he want him to deny it? Why would he want that? Lockon seemed to have noticed his confusion and chose his next words carefully.

"Yes, I have changed. Tieria...", he made sure to grab the younger man's attention before continuing, "people are always changing. It's how we grow stronger, how we manage to survive."

The younger man could feel his eyes widen a bit in response, and cursed himself mentally for being so taken aback. For some reason, those words struck a chord in Tieria, prompting him to look away before rebutting.

"Change is for the weak." Lockon furrowed his brow at this.

"I have to disagree. Change is one's greatest strength." He replied gently. Tieria narrowed his eyes.

"To want change is to acknowledge weakness, when weakness should never be present." This shocked Lockon slightly. He'd known Tieria to be a cold person, but to say something like that...

"Tieria, to acknowledge weakness is the first step to true strength. One can't exist without the other. That's the balancing act of life. Perfection...isn't possible. Perfection isn't _human_." He stated firmly. The way Lockon emphasized that last word (or so he thought) made Tieria look up in shock before turning sharply and gliding away.

Lockon didn't follow him.

Neil turned the other direction.

* * *

Sumeragi stretched lazily in her bed, empty beer can floating above her head. It'd been about four months since Lockon became their newest Gundam Meister. Things were a lot less tense nowadays, namely due to the soothing effect the young man brought on board. She wasn't sure exactly how, but Lockon managed to bring a little bit of Earth with him wherever he went. There was something about his movements that reminded them of seasons, something in his voice reminiscent of atmosphere. It was a strange, but very welcome sensation to everyone.

And then there was the way he handled Tieria. It was...amusing to say the least. Everyone usually tried their best to stay out of the violet boy's way, preferring as little contact as possible. Any normal person would've done the same. But Lockon wasn't everyone else. Oh no, he sought out Tieria on a daily basis, to talk to him, on _purpose_. The crew expected his persistence to die eventually, as all of theirs' had; hell, some of them had even placed bets to see how long it would hold out. But a month passed. Then another. Then two more. Not once did Lockon miss a single day talking to Tieria. It was rather impressive. Admirable. More so because it seemed to be _working_.

Well, it's not like Tieria was suddenly talking to everyone, cracking jokes, smiling...that would just be ludicrous. But, there seemed to be something a little different about the young boy. He'd become a lot less snarky lately. She guessed many of his snide remarks were swallowed away by his increasingly pensive state. It was obvious to her at least that this thoughtfulness was brought about by Lockon's presence. Something about that man had thrown a wedge in Tieria's clockworkings. She guessed it was that same something that put the others at ease. The way Lockon radiated _Earth_.

Sumeragi was snapped out of her reverie as an alert beeped from her handheld. Sitting up, she opened the screen to see Feldt's patient face.

"Miss Sumeragi, I think you should come to the bridge. I've just received a message from Wang Liu Mei." Sumeragi was startled.

"I'll be right there." She said hurriedly and quickly launched herself out of bed and down the hall. Wang Liu Mei? That could really only mean one thing...

"I'm here." She announced, floating into the control room. Not surprisingly, Feldt and Lasse were the only two there. They had the late night shift, Christina and Lichty already long gone.

"I'll play the message then." Feldt greeted, and opened up the video on the main monitor. Wang Liu Mei's pretty face smiled at them.

"Hello everyone, it's been a while. I'm here to inform you on the status of your next Gundam Meister. As we speak, he is enroute from Lagrange 1 to your current location. Be expecting him within the next few days." This caught Sumeragi a little off guard. So, this one had already been in space?

"Also, I understand that you are all reaching your limit there in space. Once you've claimed your new comrade and gotten settled, I'll be glad to make arrangements for a surface repose. I await to hear from you. Until then." The transmission ended and Sumeragi breathed a small sigh. A new Gundam Meister _and_ a trip to Earth? That's something that could lift anyone's mood. She smiled playfully.

"Well, it seems like things are gonna get pretty busy around here again." Lasse chuckled. Feldt smiled slightly.

"You got that right."

* * *

**A/N: **Yaaay another chapter! I really enjoyed writing this one (do I say that about every chapter? yeah probably). But anyways, I seriously love writing for Lockon and Tieria, their views and styles are so different in my opinion, and I love every minute of it. And before anyone comes to conclusion, no, there aren't going to be any pairings in this fic because it's meant to be as realistic as possible. I don't care how hardcore of a TieriaxLockon shipper you are, it's not gonna happen. Anyways, yep, that's all I've gotta say for now. Next chapter will be up in a few days...and I hope to keep it consistent after that (since I don't actually have the last few written out or planned or ugh OTL). Okay, BYE~!

Oh wait, big shout out to** StormyMonday** and **Naishu**, for all their awesome reviews of my story! Thanks guys, making me feel all loved and stuff *sniffle*.


	5. Allelujah Haptism

**Allelujah Haptism**

A few days later, everyone was gathered in the hangar bay to welcome their new addition. The ceremony was somewhat reminiscent of Tieria's arrival: the excited buzz, the dripping anticipation as they waited for his ship to dock...Sumeragi only hoped the similarities would end there. As the small transport ship finished docking, a young man with long dark hair timidly exited the craft. Carrying his one piece of luggage, he approached the waiting crowd, a single silver eye shyly observing them. He stopped a few feet away from everyone and bowed slightly.

"Ah, h-hello. My name is Allelujah Haptism. It's an honor to be here. I hope to live up to the title given to me." The young man, Allelujah, greeted softly. Sumeragi smiled.

"Welcome aboard. My name is Sumeragi Lee Noriega..." The rest of the crew proceeded with introductions, Allelujah politely regarding each one. When that was done and people started returning to their duties, Sumeragi turned to Lockon, who was trying to engage both Tieria and Allelujah at once...and failing miserably.

"Lockon, Tieria, why don't you show Allelujah to his room and get him settled in." Sumeragi proposed. Lockon smiled thankfully at her.

"Sounds like a plan! Alright, Tier-"

"I'll pass." Tieria answered sharply and walked away.

"Hey now, Tieria! That's not very nice..." Lockon mumbled after him before sighing and turning an apologetic smile towards Allelujah.

"You'll have to forgive him. That kid wouldn't know manners if they bit him in the ass."

"No, it's okay. I'm sure he has his reasons." Allelujah replied gently, smiling at the cheerful man. Lockon started walking, motioning for the other to follow. He floated after the older man in silence for a short while.

"So, how old are ya exactly?" Allelujah started at the question.

"Ah, I turned 17 recently." Lockon whistled lowly.

"Between you and Tieria, I'm starting to feel pretty old. And I'm only 22!...Not that I really know how old that kid is...but he honestly couldn't be a day over 16..." He rambled on.

"So, Allelujah Haptism...is that a codename?" He asked after a while, moving on to a new topic.

"Ah, no. That's my real name..." Allelujah answered, blushing a little.

"Really? That's an interesting one. Mine's not nearly as cool, so I think I'll just stick to Lockon Stratos for a while. Sometimes I wonder who's using their real names or not. I think Tieria's is real, but Sumeragi's is a codename..." He rambled on.

They carried a polite conversation all the way to his room. By polite conversation, it's really meant as Lockon talking while Allelujah listened and smiled. Finally, they'd reached his room and Lockon left with a quick salute.

As the older man drifted away, he kept thinking of the new meister. Allelujah...he seemed like a good enough kid. He was polite, kind, humble...maybe a little too timid...it made one wonder what made him join Celestial Being. Maybe they were similar, victims of terrorism or something...But that was none of Lockon's business, no matter how curious Neil was.

No matter the reason, he was here, and Lockon was a little more than pleased. He was looking forward to working with the new kid. Although conversations were still one sided, at least he didn't feel like Allelujah was going to sear his mouth shut with a welder in his sleep (he had one too many nightmares after chasing an irritated Tieria). This newest meister was _nice_, and that was something the older man terribly needed after months of Tieria. He floated along, humming contentedly, avoiding the windows that Neil longed to get lost in.

* * *

Allelujah, now alone in his new room, let out a long breath and collapsed onto his bed. Although everyone on the ship had been nice enough, his nerves were still a wreck. Maybe it's because they were so nice...but he didn't want to think that way. He'd really gone through so much to get here, Allelujah wasn't going to start doubting himself now. He rolled over so that he was facing the ceiling and crossed his arms behind his head. He sighed again. _Can I...belong here?_

Allelujah remembered his earlier days, after escaping that accursed lab, before Celestial Being had saved him. He had been a drifter for most of his adolescence, constantly on the run, jumping from colony to colony, mainly because of _'his'_ screw ups. But then one day, they showed up. They offered him a refuge. A place to work. A place that was safe. And now, they'd given him an outlet. A way to fight...that they were _both_ okay with.

'_Oh, don't you start with that sentimental crap. I swear, if you even think of crying, I'll take over and beat the shit outta the first person I see, Allelujah!'_

Allelujah groaned and closed his eyes, rolling onto his side.

"Knock it off. I'm not in the mood to fight you." He mumbled gruffly. "And I _wasn't_ gonna start crying!" He added, a little louder.

'_We share the same body genius. You can't fucking lie to me...eh, it's not worth it. I'm gonna take a nap or something.' _And with that, the voice faded away.

"Hallelujah..." Allelujah sighed, before being lulled into a light sleep himself. And he dreamed.

_White hallways stretched forever in front, forever behind. He ran. Right, left, forward. Move. Don't stop moving. The white walls...they were too white. Too bright. So clean you could see the blood, oozing out of the seams. He ran. 'Don't stop.' Gray. Walls that closed in darkness. Stale air. He couldn't breath. He stopped running. Wet...something warm and wet puddled at his feet. "Please, Allelujah...I don't wanna die..." A voice whimpered. Where, who? He couldn't move, but he watched himself covered in blood walk towards a small boy. "I-I don't wanna die...Allelujah!" And he that wasn't him laughed. It hurt his ears. "Too bad. You're gonna die!" He/not him lifted the gun. "No, please, Allelujah-" "Wrong! My name is..." _BAM.

"Hallelujah!" He sputtered out as he shot up in a cold sweat. The banging continued. _Knocking. Someone was knocking on my door._ Allelujah got up and walked to the door, letting the remnants of dreams fall away and dissolve behind him. He opened the door to reveal a chipper Lockon, who, after giving him a good look-over, looked quite apologetic.

"Hey, Allelujah. I'm sorry, if I'd known you were sleeping, I wouldn't have..." Allelujah quickly shook his head, smiling graciously.

"No, it's okay. I'm kinda glad you woke me up. What is it?" He asked, causing the other man to perk up a little again.

"Oh, yeah, well I was gonna ask if you're hungry, since by our clocks it's about dinner time. Most everyone's in the mess hall. I'm sure they'd like you to join." Allelujah started slightly at this before smiling to himself. No one had ever really cared enough to invite him anywhere. It left a warm feeling in his chest, and he quite liked it. Realizing he still had to answer, he looked at a curious Lockon rather flustered.

"Ah, yes! Uh, I-I am kinda hungry. I'll join you..." He trailed off at the end, more than a little embarrassed about the intensity of his reply. Lockon just smiled and chuckled lightly. Clapping him on the shoulder, he gave him a 'Well let's go then!', and off they went. They (Lockon) talked the entire way there, and it put Allelujah in a strange sense of ease. They arrived at the mess hall, and he was greeted by everyone he passed.

Having his food, he sat with Lockon at a table with the girls Christina and Feldt and the young man named Lichty. The mealtime together was filled with laughter and light conversation. When Hallelujah decided to wake up, Allelujah didn't have half as hard a time as usual ignoring him. He just continued to laugh. Continued to smile. It felt..._nice_. And nice was something the young man desperately needed.

At some point, Tieria had walked into the room, grabbing a tray of food. When Lockon called over to him, he noticed the way Christina grimaced and Lichty balked. Feldt...well, her face didn't change much in general, but she did quickly dart her eyes to Lockon and back.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Tieria said, sitting down gruffly. "Eating should be confined to the mess hall and this was the last seat open."

Lockon laughed a little. "Stop acting so stuck up and just eat with us!"

Tieria shot him a nasty look but started eating anyways. Lockon tried to get the conversation going again, but it was noticeably more tense than before.

"Tieria, stopped glaring at your food like you're out to kill it. It's making us nervous." Lockon sighed.

"I'll eat however I _please_, Lockon Stratos. My eating habits are none of your concern." Tieria spat back.

"Of course they're my concern, especially when they ruin my appetite-"

Tieria's eyes widened. "Well, _excuse me_ if I disconcert you so much. Maybe if you'd just leave me _alone_ like I've been telling you to-"

Lockon chuckled. "Aw, now you know I wouldn't do that, so don't worry your pretty little head-"

"Do _not_ call me pretty!" Tieria nearly yelled, obviously startling Chris and Lichty. But Allelujah had been watching with the utmost interest. And he laughed.

"You two...are really good friends, huh?" Allelujah asked, and he felt everyone's dumbfounded gaze fall upon him. He looked up and looked around nervously.

"W-what? Did I say something strange?" He was answered by Lockon's laughter and Tieria's quick departure from the table.

"Now where would you get a crazy idea like that?" Lichty asked, Tieria now long gone.

"Yeah! Tieria obviously hates just about everyone! No offense Lockon." Chris chirped.

"None taken."

Allelujah looked at them quizzically. Well, he hadn't been around the youngest meister for long, not at all, but it was pretty clear...

"I...I don't think he hates anyone. He's just..." Allelujah mumbled, shyly defending the absent boy. Lockon gave him a pat on the back and a wink.

"You see, I knew I wasn't crazy! Tieria's just a little awkward at expressing himself. It makes him plenty fun to tease!" Lockon announced, earning giggles all around. Allelujah sat with them for a while more, long after the food was gone. The carefree banter was unlike anything he'd been blessed to experience before. His nightmares had long since left his mind, and Hallelujah was nothing more than a snoring echo. And he was at peace.

* * *

The next day, Allelujah was led to the hangar bay by Ian Vashti, a man he learned was the main caretaker of the gundams. There, he was introduced to Kyrios. His gundam. He lightly ran his fingers over the sleek orange metal as Ian briefed him about its basic specs.

"The thing that sets it apart from the others is its ability to transform mid-flight." This caught Allelujah's attention. Ian noticed.

"Yep, this baby right here has two modes. A form reminiscent of old fighter jet planes, and the fighting humanoid form you see now. Both are vital to what makes Kyrios so unique. A dual machine." Allelujah looked back at his gundam. Subconsciously, he reached up and touched his hidden eye behind his hair.

'_Looks like this really is our destiny...Allelujah.'_

* * *

**A/N:** Short chapter is short, sorry not sorry. I would promise that the next chapters will be longer...but I haven't actually finished...so I can't lie...but I really do think the next chapters will have a lot more substance in them. Meister-intro chapters tend to be shorter just because.

So yeah, anyways, this is the last chapter I have complete that I'm happy with. So, I can't guarantee any sort of consistency with updates anymore (I've been trying to upload a new chap every 4-5 days). But I will try my absolute best to keep up the pace.

Thanks to everyone for reading and sending me beautiful reviews! Seriously, they motivate me to continue this fic. Love and peace ya'll~


	6. Duality

**Duality**

All he'd ever been good at was fighting; it's what he was engineered to do. With his too-strong body and too-fast reflexes, mixed with his split personality, every day was a battle waiting to happen. Allelujah didn't _want_ to fight, but he wasn't the kind of person who could turn the other way when they saw evil. And evil was abundant, even in the colonies. Hallelujah wasn't the kind of person to just roll over and die. So obviously, if Alle couldn't turn a blind eye and Halle wouldn't take a hit lying down, then the only option _was_ to fight.

But he didn't want to fight. God knows he didn't want to fight. He truly hated conflict, war, the system that caused people like him to be created, be needed.

_But we're here, aren't we? Here, in an organization that's gearing up to pretty much declare war on the world. Picking a fight with every living soul. And you can't say that doesn't excite you. You know damn well it does, to think of the rush while your hand is on that trigger, a person's entire fate depending on your finger, whether it will squeeze that trigger and-_

"That's not why I'm here." Allelujah cut off in a desperate gasp. He hadn't even noticed his labored breathing that started sometime during Hallelujah's little rant. He sat in the lonely cockpit of his gundam, slightly reeling after his first simulation battle. He was just relieved that this wasn't a joint practice, because the results were pitiful. The battlefield, the noises, the faces on the monitor...they felt too real, too alive, making Allelujah unable to fire more than half the time. _Coward, that's all you are. A coward. Do you realize what would've happened..._Hallelujah droned on as they boy sat staring into the darkness. He couldn't see anything. It was becoming oppressive. Too much so.

Allelujah nothing short of burst out of his cockpit, slightly gasping in the filtered oxygen of the docking bay. Nothing, he hadn't been able to do anything in the simulation. How did he expect himself to be any better during the real thing? _...I mean seriously, are you trying to get yourself killed? Fuck if I'm going to just let you do whatever the hell you want. I swear, next time I'm taking over your damn body and making it useful..._If Hallelujah would just stop his tirade for just one second, maybe Alle could form a coherent thought. Damn him for always being such a foul force as ever. This isn't what he needed right now. He didn't want to hear all the ways Halle would've disposed of their targets. He didn't want to hear about the blood, the screams, the explosions. He needed him to just stop (_I mean just imagine that color-_), just be quiet (_It would be nothing short of mind blowing, trust me-_), just...

"Will you shut up!" Allelujah screamed, panting slightly, releasing all his frustration in that desperate cry. Needless to say, Halle was shocked into silence just as much as the speaker was.

"That's not...that's not why I'm here.." He said, this time with more conviction. He wasn't here to start a war with the world. He was declaring a war on war. He was justified in this organization, justified in his mission. _Justified to kill 'innocents' as you call them? _Hallelujah's dark question faded into nothing, signaling his retreat. Allelujah let out a groan. He stiffened as he heard a forced cough from behind.

"Uh, hey there, I don't mean to intrude, or uh...hey, is everything alright?" Lockon's clearly hesitant voice from behind made Allelujah's eyes widen in horror. How long had he been there? He turned around slowly to face the other man. Yep, he'd been there far too long.

"A-uh-ye-I'm alright gotta go okay bye." Allelujah rushed out in a single breath, quickly sidestepping the man, who thankfully didn't try to stop him.

"Okay then...see ya at dinner." He heard Lockon throw out those casual words as he stepped into the hallway and quickly headed to his room. Behind closed doors, he slid down a wall weakly, battle resuming in his mind once more.

* * *

Lockon watched with mild interest as Allelujah scurried away, face red as a tomato. Poor kid must've been really embarrassed, what with being caught...fighting...with himself? He still wasn't quite sure what he had seen. He shrugged and almost continued on his way, but Neil won out this time, instead opting to stare out the wide window that occupied the other half of the hallway. Lockon indulged him this much, having earlier won out in choking the urge to chase the boy down and ask what had happened. Staring out into space, the man let out a sigh, catching his reflected eyes in the glass. As he stared into the mirrored green orbs, he really didn't know who it was: Neil...or Lockon?

The fact that he was wondering this at all closed the case, deciding it had to be Neil. Lockon didn't trouble himself with such trivial matters. It was kind of funny, Neil thought, how he managed to be two people at once. It wasn't as serious as a split personality (he never actually talked or argued with Lockon), but it also wasn't just the simple 'putting up a front' like some would think. It was a strange phenomenon, because truly, Neil and Lockon were very different people, housed within the same body.

Lockon was everything Neil could never be, and everything he needed to be.

Lockon Stratos was calm and collected; he looked on with never more than mild interest, but also made sure to never let others feel he didn't care. If something didn't need to be known, he didn't care to know. But he was kind; yes, Lockon Stratos was undeniably kind and gentle when dealing with others. He would sit and listen, with the occasional 'I understand' and comforting pat on the back, but never anymore, never any questions. It was that very quality that seemed to attract his crewmates even more.

Sometimes Neil would wonder, while watching Lockon console a drunk Sumeragi or cheer up a downcast Lichty, how the crew would act if he was the one walking around? Neil could be just as cheery, just as funny, just as comforting as Lockon. He was sure he could. The stars he gazed at now seemed to blink in encouragement. He'd lived without Lockon for the majority of his life. Lived as Neil Dylandy, joined Celestial Being as Neil Dylandy, was recruited as a gundam meister as Neil Dylandy...

_But you also lost your family as Neil Dylandy. Lost your family. Cultivated hatred. Formed a thirst for vengeance. Most importantly, you missed the target. You couldn't do this as Neil Dylandy._

Lockon was right. He always was. And that's why he continued to exist. And he would continue to exist, until Neil was finally right...or until Lockon was Neil.

He chuckled a little as his thoughts wandered into which name would win out in the end.

A blur of violet in the slightly reflective window caught Neil mid-thought. Tieria. If he focused, he could make out the boy's transparent reflection before him. He fixated on it, amused the way stars twinkled in his hair, on his face; his strikingly serene face. It was actually quite beautiful.

Lockon scoffed internally at the thought and made an effort to turn around and casually greet his teammate. Neil wasn't budging. Not today. He stood his ground, eyes never leaving the reflected figure, who surprisingly also stood still, staring in his general direction.

What was he thinking? Neil so desperately wanted to know. Tieria's mind was truly an enigma, something completely foreign to him. From day one, he'd been absolutely fascinated with the kid. He knew it probably sounded weird, but there was something about the boy that drove him insane. Since they'd first met, when Neil had (understandably) mistaken him for a girl, he noticed there was something off about the kid. Something painfully different. He'd dealt with difficult people before, cold, bitter, pompous people; but Tieria wasn't anything like those. Neil was almost certain that if left to his own devices, Tieria would never show...scratch that, would never _feel_ another sincere emotion. And it drove him crazy, to the point of even bothering Lockon. As much as the man never wanted to pry into people's business or personal lives, Neil's desire was so strong, even Lockon had to bother the kid.

At least when Lockon spoke, Tieria got angry. Annoyed. Negative emotion was better than none at all, right? But there'd been a few times Tieria had surprised the older man: when the boy would look at him with nothing but pure confusion in his garnet eyes, it took everything in Lockon to stop Neil from crying in relief.

Only now, staring at the delicate boy enveloped in stars did Neil get it.

He was space. Exactly like space. Cold, dark, suffocating. But no, not quite, something was missing..._oh. I see. _

He blinked and smiled sadly.

_Stars. He's space without the stars._ _Oppressive and deep. Without the light and warmth, the only things that can change it from something alien to something heavenly._

Satisfied, Neil closed his eyes and let out a quiet sigh.

Lockon turned around to meet the boy with a startled look before smiling.

"Well hey there partner.."

* * *

Tieria wandered through the halls of Ptolemy aimlessly. That in itself was disconcerting, considering Tieria never did something that had no purpose. And yet, there he was, turning right, turning left, drifting along with no real destination in mind. He just, he needed to _think_. Okay, that was a lie, seeing as he wasn't doing much of it as he paused and sighed in an empty corridor. In all honesty, Tieria had been avoiding the whole "thinking" thing recently, never quite pleased with the places his mind wandered, with the things it began questioning.

But sometimes, one needed to suck it up and just deal with it. So that's exactly what he did.

Moving once more, Tieria let his mind replay the data he just received from Veda. He had watched a recording of Allelujah's first simulation, one that was supposed to be a "warm up" and "off the record". Nothing was _ever_ "off the record" where Tieria was concerned. Although right now, he wasn't sure if that was a good thing, because his "all knowing self" was now pretty conflicted.

Allelujah's simulation was, putting it extremely lightly, just plain bad. Tieria still wasn't quite sure about what had happened, from the general reluctance to do _anything_ requiring a trigger early on, to the strange arguments, to the not being able to _let go_ of the trigger towards the end. Not to mention that chilling laughter...Tieria shuddered even now just thinking about it. He saw all of it, knew all of this, but couldn't do a damn thing about it. Veda itself had chosen Allelujah Haptism as a gundam meister. Veda _chose_ him, from the masses of candidates, and who was Tieria to doubt _Veda_? But he also couldn't just let it go, as if nothing ever happened. As if he didn't know the new meister had the potential of going haywire and mercilessly targeting both enemies and allies alike at the flip of a switch.

And then he stopped. He stopped because he remembered.

_Nadleeh._

Everything seemed to just click after that. No one else but Ian Vashti and Sumeragi Lee Noriega knew about Nadleeh, the hidden half of Tieria's Virtue. No one else needed to know. It was his trump card, his ace should something like that simulation ever become reality. Only he was entrusted with the ability to stop Gundams. With that, his mind felt cleared, and when the time indicated that he had somewhere to be, Tieria swiftly went on his way. Sumeragi had made it clear to him earlier that day that she had business with the meister at exactly 18:00, and he was _never_ late.

Arriving in record time, Tieria didn't dwell anymore on petty thoughts. Until he drifted in on a certain Lockon Stratos. The man was standing still as a statue, gazing out a window, and Tieria noted that he seemed not to even notice his presence. For some reason, he didn't make a move to catch his attention either. Tieria just stood there, watching Lockon watch the stars. And then it hit him, like a punch to the gut, wrenching his insides. Lockon Stratos was also a meister, was also incredibly human, was also a threat. He'd almost forgotten that one day, long ago, when the look in the older's bright eyes sent a chilling fear through him. He remembered it again now and fought back a shiver. Lockon Stratos was just as human, just as unpredictable as Allelujah Haptism, regardless of how obvious or not, that fact remained.

Tieria's eyes narrowed slightly as Lockon finally noticed the younger man and turned to greet him.

"Well hey there partner..." Lockon flashed his signature grin and began crossing the hall to stand by Tieria. The latter never took his eyes off him, scrutinizing his every move, a strange feeling bubbling in his chest. Before Lockon could start his meaningless blabber, Tieria uttered the first thing that came to mind.

"I don't like you."

The weight of those words hung in the air, the magnitude of unspoken implications clashing in the space between both men. The phrase wasn't unheard of: Tieria had made it clear _countless_ times his distaste for the sharp shooter. However, this time the case was made in the form of a revelation, and Lockon's mind raced just as fast as Tieria's, a tense silence building as emotions were made clear.

Tieria's garnet eyes burned with the intensity of vices hidden in virtue. They screamed calibers higher than even his most enraged fits. Lockon watched intently as hatred, anger, and even fear swam in their depths, but what caught Neil was a buried desperation, hopefulness and yearning. The younger was looking for something, something unbeknownst to them both. Neil kept looking, praying the answer would be found; Lockon, for once, helped him.

The younger stared into Lockon's eyes, aware of every movement, every quiver, every slight dilation. He was so _human_, with how easily his heart was displayed in hues of blue-green. Tieria controlled himself, face never moving, body still, but with all his composure, not even he could deny the raging storm within. He didn't understand. None of it made sense. He'd never felt this way before. _You never had to _feel _before. _But even so, he was better than this, better than them. _Then why were you made like them? _But even so...

Finally, Lockon sighed, breaking the atmosphere with a sad smile.

"You don't have to like me. You only have to trust me."

And everything stopped. Garnet eyes widened in shock. Aqua eyes closed in satisfaction. Question unknown were answered with words unspoken. And everything stopped.

Until something broke and started again.

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything...but Sumeragi said to be here...and I just...I can leave..." Allelujah's hesitant voice crept from a distance. The two heads snapped in opposite directions, Lockon's to flash the flustered boy an easy grin, Tieria's to face away with a 'hmph'. The thick air dissolved just as suddenly.

"You don't have to go, Allelujah!" Lockon chortled, beckoning him over. He cautiously approached, conscious of Tieria's deadly aura.

"Oh, well, it just looked like I was interrupting or somethi-"

"There was nothing _to _interrupt." Tieria cut him off shortly, quickly wrapping up any discussion on the topic. Lockon rolled his eyes and shrugged, carefree attitude back in full force. The three waited in relative silence for Sumeragi to arrive and get on with whatever she needed them for.

* * *

Sumeragi proceeded casually down the hallway, bound for the docking bay. All three meisters should already be waiting for her and she smiled slightly at the thought. After an unexpected, but not unwelcome chat with Wang Lui Mei, she definitely had some surprises she couldn't wait to reveal. One of which followed her silently through the corridors. She paused outside of the docking bay doors, turning around to face her silent companion. Sumeragi smiled gently at the young boy before ushering him forward.

"Ready to meet your fellow meisters, Setsuna?"

He looked up at the woman briefly with vacant eyes before nodding curtly. He stepped forward, ready to meet his destiny.

* * *

**A/N:** At last, an update! Oh. My. Sweetbabyjesusinheaven. Ya'll don't understand my struggles in writing this chapter. I was having issues, like intense issues, as to how to best convey my meanings. Lieeeeeeeek, I don't even know what I wrote. Yeah. I'm sorry. I SWEAR TO YOU, THERE ARE NO SHIPS. NOR WILL THERE BE ANY. DO NOT HOPE. DO NOT THINK I AM LYING. BECAUSE IT'S THE TRUTH. (not even I believe me at this point...but no, seriously, there really aren't ships...)

Oh, okay, yeah, someone asked last chapter why I had changed everyone's ages and stuff. Well, in the anime, Lockon is supposed to be 24 and Alle 19. This fic takes place 3 years before that time, so yeah they're younger. So they would've started as 16 and 21...but b/w the time of the formation of the crew up until getting Alle, almost a year has passed, so yeah, they would be 17 and 22. -3-

Yeah, well, hope this was somewhat cohesive and entertaining...I guess...and look forward to updates within the next few weeks? College is kicking my sorry butt so we'll see. But yeah, only 4 chapters left. Almost there~!


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